Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 23: In a landmark initiative to bridge the treatment gap in geriatric mental health, NIMHANS has launched two pioneering programmes — the NIMHANS–Vayomanasa Sanjeevani (VMS) Gruha community outreach and a Post-Diagnostic Dementia Care Centre developed in collaboration with Dementia India Alliance (DIA). The announcements coincided with World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21.
The VMS Gruha programme will take specialised psychiatric services directly to the homes of elderly citizens who cannot travel for care. A dedicated team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses will conduct home visits, provide follow-up assessments, counselling, and assisted tele-psychiatry consultations. Trained volunteers will support awareness and basic mental health needs, while NIMHANS trainees will be sensitised to the unique requirements of older adults.
Professor P.T. Sivakumar, head of Geriatric Psychiatry at NIMHANS, said the programme, funded through philanthropic contributions of Rs 1.2 crore each from former NIMHANS psychiatrists Padma Shri awardee C.R. Chandrashekar and Srikala Bharath (currently based in Australia), will be piloted in Bengaluru South Corporation, home to an estimated 3–4 lakh elderly residents. Services will also extend to old-age homes and destitute elders. For assistance, people can call 99004 18922 during working hours.
The Post-Diagnostic Dementia Care Centre will provide structured support to families following a dementia diagnosis — a stage where most currently manage alone. Developed with CSR support in partnership with DIA, the centre will offer counselling, care planning, caregiver training, and therapies including cognitive stimulation, art, music, and culturally relevant interventions. It will also provide modest financial support to economically weaker families and link them to welfare schemes. Online caregiver support groups and volunteer networks will widen the programme’s reach. The centre is expected to become operational within two months, with families able to contact 81973 68965 for support.
Ramani Sundaram, DIA executive director, highlighted that early post-diagnostic interventions improve quality of life and delay institutionalisation, while DIA president Radha S. Murthy noted that the centre aims to directly benefit over 3,000 families annually and evolve into a sustainable model through philanthropy and public–private partnerships.
With India’s population ageing rapidly — projected to reach 340 million older adults by 2050, including 5.3 million living with dementia — more than 90% of older adults with mental health conditions remain untreated due to stigma, lack of awareness, and poor accessibility.
“These initiatives are not just about clinical care; they are about promoting healthy aging, reducing loneliness, and creating networks of community participation. The time has come to care for those who cared for us once,” Dr. Sivakumar said. The programmes align with the WHO’s Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030, advocating inclusive and sustainable care models for India’s elderly.